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Coventry approves contract to extend sewer to high school; laterals planned for about 60 buildings
Summary
The Coventry Town Council voted 5-0 to authorize a contract with CB Utility Co. Inc. to build a sewer extension to Coventry High School. The project, primarily federally funded, will run along Reservoir Road and Tioga Avenue, include connection laterals for roughly 60 buildings and could take six months to a year to complete.
The Coventry Town Council on a 5-0 vote on June (packet date) authorized the town manager to sign a contract with CB Utility Company Inc. of Bristol to construct a sewer extension that will connect Coventry High School to the municipal sewer system.
Assistant Town Manager Maria Broadbent told the council the project was developed after town staff discovered problems with the high school’s on-site septic system. Broadbent said the work will run down Reservoir Road and Tioga Avenue to tie the high school into the regular sewer line and will include laterals for about 60 buildings along the route.
“This is probably one of the bigger utility construction projects that the town has undertaken in quite some time,” Broadbent said. She told the council the primary source of funding is federal and that the town and Kent County Water Authority coordinated the schedule so water-line work there could be done at the same time. “If we didn't do it that way, we would have had to dig down 20 feet and put our sewer lines under the water lines,” she said.
Broadbent told the council the town received three responsible bids and that the CB Utility bid was recommended. She said consultants reviewed extensive documentation — “the review of these bids and all of the paperwork associated with it was 200 pages long” — and that the town has obtained required permits. She said Kent County Water is paying for the water-line work, while the town is paying for the sewer portion.
The town expects construction could take about six months but cautioned the schedule might extend to a year depending on conditions encountered in the field and on seasonal limits. Broadbent identified a stream crossing and wetlands as the most complex element of the work and said there will be periods when crews cannot work during winter. She also said the contractor will post signage and the town will conduct door-to-door outreach to impacted residents and businesses before work begins.
Council members asked about schedule and impacts. Councilman Brown suggested direct outreach to affected properties; Broadbent said she would go door to door and provide a contact phone number once a start date is set. The council took the roll and the resolution approving the contract passed unanimously: Council member Brown, Yes; Council member Pasquale, Yes; Council member Capaldi, Yes; Vice President Verducci, Yes; President Lima, Yes.
The contract approval follows earlier technical reviews and coordination with neighboring jurisdictions on required pretreatment controls for the high school. Broadbent said she expected responses from West Warwick on pretreatment requirements within days.
Next steps: the town will finalize the construction schedule, notify residents and businesses along Reservoir Road and Tioga Avenue, and coordinate with Kent County Water Authority during construction. Broadbent said the town will provide a phone contact for concerns once work starts.
Votes at a glance
- Resolution 2025-71 — Authorize town manager to sign contract with CB Utility Company Inc. for Coventry High School Sewer Extension. Motion by Councilman Brown; second by Councilman Pasquale. Vote: 5-0 (Brown, Pasquale, Capaldi, Verducci, Lima). Outcome: approved.
